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18:10 Wolverhampton
All of tonights selections come from The Midlands on Wolverhampton’s eight race card of which the first falls in the fifth contest.
According to the bookmakers it seems that punters are favouring the younger horses with two three year olds heading the market.
Current favourite Frank The Barber seems ultra consistent with a win and three places from its last five all-weather outings. The Steph Holinshead trained runner is a course and distance winner and at such a young age has room to improve. However the horse has only won once in all of its twenty starts and although it rarely runs a poor race it’s creeping up the weights. I think the horse is highly likely to be there or thereabouts once more but could find a few too good.
The best of the older horses, according to the odds compliers, is a former course winner who won nicely at Lingfield on its previous start. Hamis Al Bin has the advantage of Franny Norton guiding it this evening but a drop to five furlongs doesn’t look likely to be of any benefit with just one start over the distance in which it finished a lacklustre sixth.
The horse I’ve opted to kick proceedings off with is one of only two course and distance winners as trainer Lisa Williamson sends Rat Catcher. The race looks set up for a blistering pace which should play into the five year olds hands. It now sits just two pounds higher than its previous winning mark, looks massively overpriced at 8/1 and has a 50% strike rate for a top three finish on the all-weather. With conditions to suit it’s definitely worth siding with.
Rat Catcher (E/W)
19:10 Wolverhampton
The second pick of tonights trio comes in the penultimate race of the night as Well Owd Mon looks to try and add another course and distance victory to its previous three. It’s interesting to note that the horse has run over the course and distance a total of fourteen times and has only finished out of the top five once. Clearly it relishes the conditions and third placed finish here last time out shows its starting to hit some form and off the same handicap mark it could very close tonight with a good each-way price to boot.
Of its rivals the most likely danger looks to be three year old Street Art who comes here after a decent, if unexpected, victory. With the age of the horse it is open to improvement and is lightly raced so taking a step up shouldn’t be a problem but at a price of around 11/4 it is far too short as a betting prospect.
Another mention has to go to course winner Ballyfarsoon who put in an improved effort when finishing third in its last run.
Well Owd Mon (E/W)
19:40 Wolverhampton
We end tonights selections with the final race of the night and despite there just being the eight runners it looks a very competitive affair with three horses vying for favouritism and the pick comes from this cluster of horses.
Both Tangramm and Call Me Crockett renew their rivalry from when they faced each other over the course and distance last time out. Tangramm found its head in front on that occasion and considering there was only a head between them on that occasion you’d presume that a turn around in form wouldn’t be too far fetched however the handicapper has decided to increase both horses rating by the same four pounds a piece. It’s also worth noting that Call Me Crockett has had a much tougher campaign than its fellow three year old and of the two I can’t see that result being reversed.
Equleus is another that was successful in its previous race and looks to have improved on its previous outings but it was heavily disappointing on its only start at Wolverhampton and wether or not it’s form on the Tapeta surface will improve looks unlikely.
Of the three aforementioned runners I’m siding with the course and distance winner Tangramm who seems to be a likely improver that has the scope to make it a hat-trick of wins under tonights jockey Pat Cosgrave.
A small mention has to go to bottom weight Mercury who has been successful over course distance before and could have enough to place at a decent price.
Tangramm (WIN)